CHAPTER XXIII
NED IS MISSING
There was a period of silence, following Tom's startlingannouncement. There were several plate glass windows in the floor ofthe airship, and through these they all gazed at the youth on themotor-cycle. Only Tom, however, by the aid of the glasses, was ableto make out his features.
"Bless my spark plug! Andy Foger!" cried Mr. Damon. "Are you goingto try to catch him?"
"Get him and break chug-chug machine!" suggested Koku.
"What do you suppose he's up to, Tom?" asked Ned.
"Andy Foger speeding along at this hour of the morning," remarkedMr. Whitford. "There must be something in the wind."
"Get a moving picture of him," urged Mr. Period. "I might be able touse that."
"I hardly think it would be worth while," decided Tom. "You see Andyhasn't done anything criminal, as far as we know. Of course I thinkhe is capable of it, but that's a different thing. He may be outonly on a pleasure jaunt, and he could stop us from showing thepictures, if we took them."
"That's so," agreed Mr. Period. "Don't run any risks of a lawsuit.It takes up too much of my time. Never mind the pictures."
"Just capture him, Tom, and see what he is doing," suggested Mr.Damon. "Bless my chewing gum! But he must be up to something."
"Well, he's aware of the fact that we're watching him, at allevents!" exclaimed Mr. Whitford, for, at that moment, Andy, havingseen the glare of the light, glanced up. They could see him lookingat him, and, a second later, the Shopton bully steered his machinedown a side road where the overhanging trees were so thick that hecould not be made out, even by the powerful gleams of the greatsearchlight.
"He's gone!" gasped Ned.
"Afraid I guess," added Mr. Damon. "That shows he was up tosomething wrong. Well, what are we going to do?"
"Nothing, that I can see," spoke Mr. Whitford. "We can only go backto our camping place, and make another try. This Andy Foger may, ormay not, be in with the smugglers. That's something we have yet toprove. However, we can't do anything now."
In vain did Ned try to get the bully within range of the light. Theycould hear the sounds of the motor cycle growing more and morefaint, and then, as it was rapidly getting light, and as they didnot want to be seen dropping into their camping place, they made allhaste toward it, before dawn should break.
"Well, I can't spend any more time here," declared Mr. Period, whena hasty breakfast had been served.
"Will you ride back with me?" asked Mr. Whitford of the movingpicture man.
"Will I? Well, I guess I will! You can't lose me! I'm not going tobe captured by those smugglers. I'd be a valuable man for them tohave as a hostage. They'd probably ask a million dollars ransom forme," and Mr. Period carefully straightened his brilliant rednecktie.
Soon he and Mr. Whitford were riding back to town, taking aroundabout way, as the agent always did, to throw any possible spiesoff the track.
Everyone, even including the giant Koku was tired enough to take asleep after dinner. It was about three o'clock when Ned awoke, andhe found Tom already up, and at the wireless instrument, which wasclicking and buzzing.
"Message coming?" asked the young bank clerk.
Tom nodded, and clasped the receiver over his ear. A moment later hebegan jotting down a message.
"Mr. Whitford says he has a tip that something is going to takeplace to-night," read the young inventor a few minutes later. "Thesmugglers have accumulated a big store of goods, and they areanxious to get them over the border. There are silks, laces,diamonds, and other things on which there is a high duty, or tax forbringing into the United States. He will be here early, and we mustbe ready for a start at once."
"All right. I guess we are ready now. Say, I'm going over to thatlittle brook, and see if I can catch a few trout for supper."
"All right. Good idea. Don't be gone too long."
"I won't. Say, where is my coat, anyhow? I never can seem to keeptrack of that, or my cap either."
"Never mind. Wear mine, and you won't be delayed looking for them,"so Ned donned Tom's garment and headpiece, and set out.
Three hours passed, and Mr. Damon prepared to get supper.
"I wonder why Ned doesn't come back with the fish?" he said. "It'stime, if we're going to cook them to-night."
"That's right, he ought to be here," agreed Tom. "Koku take a walkover to the trout brook, and tell Mr. Ned to come here, whether hehas any fish or not."
"Sure, me go, Mr. Tom!"
Koku was gone perhaps five minutes, and when he came back he wasmuch excited.
"Mr. Ned he no there!" the giant cried. "But fish pole all broken,and ground all full of holes. Look like fight."
Tom started for the place where he knew Ned usually went to fish.Koku and Mr. Damon followed. On reaching it our hero saw indeed thatthe ground was "full of holes," as the giant described theindentations made by the heels of boots and shoes.
"There's been a fight here!" cried Tom.
"Yes, and Ned is missing," added Mr. Damon.